Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip

I've been doing a lot of gingerbread items this fall... It's not something I normally do, and I'm not always a big fan, but it's just SO Christmas! And, let's be honest-- I love baking for other people, and it makes other people happy for me to make gingerbread things!

I saw this, and thought it would be something easy and tasty. Not time consuming, so it wouldn't be too complicated to do in the morning. (Mornings have actually been easier for me lately... sometimes.) 

This dip is VERY gingerbread-y. If you aren't a fan of gingerbread, you probably won't like this--but, you should make it anyways. The gingerbread people in your life will love you for it!

Oh, and FYI- while some dips don't really need the time to 'set' in the fridge, this one does. I actually add more cool whip than the original recommends, because it seems too thin without it. (The taste is still very strong though, so don't worry about that!)

Printable Recipe

Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces Cool Whip
• Graham crackers, animal crackers, etc. for serving

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugars and molasses; beat on medium speed until smooth and combined. Add the spices and mix until combined.
2. Beat in the Cool Whip until combined.
3. Transfer dip to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve. Serve with graham crackers, animal crackers, etc. 

Yield/Time

Approx 4 cups (estimate)

15 minutes + cooling

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

116/ ¼ cup (estimate)

Source (for original): Food, Folks & Fun

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

These are fairly similar to my other banana muffin recipes (Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal, Healthier Banana Muffins/Bread, & Nutella Oat Banana Muffins), but with some slight variances. Honestly, I could probably cut down to just 1 or 2 banana muffin recipes... but I truly can't decide which recipe I like the most. So, I just keep them all! This recipe I like because of the chips in it.... they aren't overly sweet, but the chips add just enough!

I originally made an extra large batch of these with the plan of sending some as a snack for Gabriel's preschool... until he woke up sick. Poor baby, this is the first day of preschool he's missed, and I think he's pretty disappointed. So....since he isn't going to school, I have about 30 muffins in my house right now. Adrian ate 2 for breakfast (scratch that, while I was typing this he decided he wanted another one... in addition to the 4 smoky links he ate. Growth spurt, anyone?), which makes up for the fact that Gabriel has no appetite... but I hope my coworkers like them, I need somebody to eat more! My family cannot go through that many! (Well, Adrian might, at this rate...)

Check out the recipe, and let me know what you think!

Comments are loved--what is your favorite banana muffin/bread recipe?

Printable Recipe

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter chips (or any other chips) This time I used a combination of peanut butter, mini chocolate chip, and semi-sweet, to empty some partial bags I had! They are great!

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease/line with paper 24 count muffin tins.
2. In large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla and applesauce. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Carefully mix in peanut butter chips. 
3. Spoon batter into prepared tins. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on wire rack.

Yield/Time

22-24 muffins

30 minutes

Nutrition Facts

164 (based on 22 muffins)

Source (for original): Food

Sugar Cookies

I originally published this post a few years ago, but the time is ripe for a re-publication. 

Mama's recipe for sugar cookies is something that I have never, ever tweaked. I am a person who has to always play with recipes, so for me to say "this is perfect, and needs no changes" is quite something. These are on my baking list for every Christmas, and have been on the list since before I was the one doing the baking! I can't remember Mama ever getting to Christmas without making at least one batch. (And when the three of us kids were younger, I remember at least a couple years where the cookies were gone long before Christmas, and we would beg for another batch...) 

However... these aren't just a Christmas thing. The boys and I usually go over to mama's to make cookies for most of the major holidays. Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's day... if Mama & I have cookie cutters for the occasion, we probably make sugar cookies for it. ;) 

This year, we made the Halloween cookies at my house. (Gabriel directed mama on which sprinkles to use, but she actually put the sprinkles on... which was probably best, so he didn't use all the sprinkles up before we were done decorating!)

To me, these are the perfect sugar cookie. They are slightly crunchy if you don't frost them, but frosting them makes them perfectly soft! 

Printable Recipe

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups butter-flavored Crisco
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tubs store-bought frosting (or homemade if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat until fluffy. 
3. Stir together dry ingredients; add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. If dough is too sticky to handle, add flour. Roll ¼” thick on well-floured surface, cut with cookie cutters. 
4. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8 minutes. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to rack. Frost and decorate as desired. 

Yield/Time

About 75 cookies

2-3 hours (including decorating)

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

127

Source (for original): my mom

Apple Betty

With all the apples we got from the orchard a couple weekends ago, I've had a lot of apple recipes tossing around in my mind. Trying to decide what to bake is always hard.... so many ideas, so many options! (Hint: don't search apple recipes on pinterest. It is slightly overwhelming!)

However, this is something that always make it onto the list. Apple Betty is similar to most fruit or berry crunch recipes. Fruit/berry on the bottom, flour & sugar mix on top. I've considered adding oats, to make it seem more healthy... but I've never actually tried it. Maybe next time! Either way, this is AMAZING. I could eat the whole pan. I'd feel horribly sick, but I think it would be worth it....

I have no idea where she originally got it, but I got this recipe from my mother in law. We were downstate visiting them one weekend, and she made this for us. I immediately told her I needed the recipe. Everyone else ate it with ice cream... forget that, I just want two servings. ;)

Printable Recipe

(Excuse the poor picture, I forgot to take one of the whole pan... it was mostly gone, and I had some in a bowl before I remembered!)

Apple Betty

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced pared tart apples
• ¼ cup orange juice (optional, I never use this-if I remember right, neither does my MIL.)
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• dash salt
• ½ cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Mound apples in a greased 9” pie plate (or 9”x9” baking pan). Sprinkle with orange juice, if desired.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle over apples. 
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp. *Watch time! Usually done early.
5. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Yield/Time

9 servings

1 hour

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

245/serving

Source (for original): my mother in law

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite crisp or crunch recipe?

Spiced Apple Cider Donuts

I love donuts. Love, love, love donuts. (My waistline doesn't. Oh well. I only ever eat them in the fall, so that makes it ok... right?) Pumpkin donuts and these apple cider donuts are my favorites! I've been making these for a few years, and we always go through them pretty quickly. I won't tell you how quickly we went through the 5 dozen donut holes.... but it was fast enough we didn't have to worry about them going stale. ;)

This being apple season, I'm sure I'll make these a few more times! Only problem is the cost of the apple cider. WOW. I don't know about you guys, but it's crazy how expensive apple cider is. I don't buy it unless it's on sale... and even then I'm fairly cheap frugal, and don't buy it very much.

These donuts are totally worth it, and really don't call for a lot of the cider. (Oh, you may want to cut the recipe in half or so.... it does make a lot.) They are great to make as donut holes, especially for little fingers! As with the pumpkin donuts I make, the cinnamon sugar coating is optional. I usually do about 3/4 with coating, and 1/4 without coating. Either way, they get devoured!

Printable Recipe

Spiced Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¾ cup light brown sugar 
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup milk, room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup cinnamon sugar mix

Directions

1. Simmer apple cider over medium heat in a small saucepan on the stove for 15-20 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, spices, and/or orange slices for flavor if desired. Simmer down to ¾ cup, then remove any cinnamon sticks/orange slices. Cool in the refrigerator (or freezer) to room temp.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a mini muffin pan/donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and concentrated apple cider.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk until all ingredients are just combined; some small lumps may remain. Do not overmix. 
5. Pour the batter into the mini muffin pan, filling ¾ full. If making donuts, fill donut pan ⅔ to ¾ full. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The donuts will take the same amount of time.
6. After baking, dunk the warm donuts all the way into the cinnamon sugar, mixing it around so the entire donut is coated. Repeat with all the donuts, if desired.

Yield/Time

5 dozen donut holes/28 donuts

3 hours

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

Without sugar: Holes: 52  donuts: 77

With sugar: Holes: 64 donuts: 138

Source (for original): Sally’s Baking Addiction

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite homemade donut recipe!

Baked Pumpkin Donuts-the taste of fall!

I love fall. This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. Getting ready for all the fun of the holidays, the leaves are beautiful, it's not too hot or too cold, and I have the desire to bake even more than normal. Good times!

I started my fall-style baking yesterday. I really wanted to make spiced apple cider donuts, but I didn't have any apple cider. Dug through my pantry, found a can of pumpkin puree, and decided to find a recipe for pumpkin donuts instead!

These are perfect. I made donut holes, that's our preference with little ones in the house, and they turned out great. They are full of pumpkin, are deliciously moist, and have plenty of spices in them! 

Now, these are good dipped in butter & coated in cinnamon sugar, but they are great by themselves too. Adrian, oddly enough, seemed to prefer them without coating. Nate, Gabriel, & I preferred them with the coating. (I won't tell you how quickly my family of 4 went through a batch of these...)

These are a perfect baking idea for a rainy fall day!

Printable Recipe

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Ingredients

Donuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Coating

• ⅔ cup cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray 2 mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. (Alternately, lightly spray donut pan.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, milk, butter, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients until just combined. 
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, about ⅔ - ¾ of the way full. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Note: metal pans take slightly less time than silicon; watch closely if you are using metal. Donut pan may take longer.)
5. Remove from the oven, and place the donuts on a wire rack to cool. 
6. Once cool, dip each donuts  into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Be sure to coat well.

Yield/Time

40 donut holes

(maybe 13 donuts?)

1 hour

Nutrition Facts

47/donut hole

(71 with cinnamon sugar)

144/donut

(220 with cinnamon sugar)

Source (for original): Live Well Bake Often

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite fall baking recipe?

(Healthier) Banana Muffins/Bread

We all, at some point or another, have bananas that get past their prime. I usually don't eat bananas until they are all speckly brown (about 2 days before they turn themselves into banana bread), but the boys will eat them whenever. Bright green, pretty yellow, almost completely brown... Adrian, especially, doesn't care. "Ba-nana, ba-nana!" With his love of bananas, we don't have nearly as many that get over-ripe, but with the humidity this summer it happened more often than not. Once that happens, our usual preference is banana muffins. I love making my traditional banana muffins/bread, but I have adapted that over the years to be a bit healthier. 

I honestly prefer these over my more traditional recipe. Knowing that it's healthier for me is a great, and I love the oats in this! Oats in muffins are some of my favorite things. They add a bit of texture, and some great health benefits.

In general, I love making things like this. Using up bananas that would otherwise go to waste, and making something that all my boys enjoy (and myself!), is a win-win situation!


Printable Recipe

Banana Bread/Muffins, Healthified

Ingredients

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups mashed bananas (approx 3 large or 5 medium)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil or applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° for bread, or 375° for muffins.
2. Grease bottom and ½” up the sides of 1 loaf pan OR grease 18 count muffin tins; set aside. Combine flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and applesauce. Add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 55-60 minutes for bread, or 18-20 minutes for muffins. (Or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.) If necessary, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking bread to prevent overbrowning. *note: it may just be me, but I always have to cook the bread about 10-15 minutes longer.
5. Cool bread in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. 
6. Remove muffins from pan immediately and cool completely on wire rack. 

Yield/Time

1 loaf (16 servings) OR 18 muffins

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 20-60 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

Bread: 120  

Muffins: 106

(using applesauce)

Source (for original): Better Homes & Gardens, adapted

Zucchini Bread & Muffins

So I mentioned the other day that I am getting a lot of extra zucchini & summer squash from my grandparents. Well, sometimes one of those little guys hides until it's not-so-little, or we just want to let them grow big enough to shred. Then the possibilities are endless! My grandma has a great sheet cake recipe, and there are so many muffins/quick breads these can go in...

I don't know if I would say this is my favorite recipe, but this really is a classic. It's from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, slightly adapted. (I would say healthified, but.... not much.)

My boys love these muffins! They could sit and devour one in what seems like seconds... then ask for another one. Feeding these boys through their teenage years is seriously going to require us starting a hobby farm. (That was really obvious the other day when Gabriel ate 4 -no, that's not a typo- bowls of oatmeal for breakfast. Yes, he is only 4 years old. And no, I don't know how he does it--he's actually pretty skinny.) 

Oh, and Gabriel's favorite thing about these muffins? "That they have ZUCCHINI in them!!"

I personally prefer the muffins over the bread--single servings, easier for Gabriel to get himself... He's not getting himself snacks, but if I am in the middle of helping Adrian with something it makes it a lot easier if he can get himself another muffin. I don't know, really. There's just something about muffins that I prefer.

However, that is not to say the bread isn't great, too! If I'm taking it to work or Mama's (which I did, with this), I prefer the bread. Then people can cut whatever size slice they want, which is much harder to do with muffins. Being the mom of two small boys, I'm suspicious if I see half a muffin anywhere. ;)

Oh, and speaking of taking this to work and Mama's--I took the loaf of bread to work, my coworkers ate some, and I then took the rest to Mama. My original plan was to share some with her & my brother, then take whatever was left back to work. It didn't make it back to work. Mama was entirely too excited about it, and apparently Kyle was too. :)

Printable Recipe

Zucchini Bread & Muffins

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (I've subbed about 1/2 cup flour for oats before)

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg (If you are not a big nutmeg fan, cut down to 1/2 or 3/4. It's a very strong flavor in this.)

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups finely shredded, peeled zucchini

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened (Can sub for oil, if needed)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° for bread or 375° for muffins.
2. Grease the bottom and up the sides of two 8”x4”x2” loaf pans, or grease/line with paper 24 muffin tins. Set aside
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the mixture; set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, zucchini, oil, and applesauce. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pans or muffin tins. (If using muffin tins, fill to just under the liners.)
5. Bake bread for 50-55 minutes, and muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Cool bread before slicing.

Yield/Time

24 slices bread or 24 muffins.

1 hour 15 minutes for bread, 45 minutes for muffins

Nutrition Facts

124/slice or muffin *I calculate nutrition facts for my use only, this is not done scientifically

Source (for original): Better Homes & Gardens

Remember, comments are love! What's your favorite zucchini recipe? Share with me in the comments!